VR, AR set to redefine workplace, entertainment

Moreover, PC maker Hewlett-Packard will pre-install the VIVE XR Suite in its mainstream business PCs and laptops to meet the needs of users brought on by the sweeping changes in the world now and in the future.

Graylin said that by working together with so many leading companies, he is confident the company will be able to make a real impact in accelerating VR adoption in the near term and ultimately enabling an XR-powered global workforce.

Claire Zhao, an analyst at global market consultancy IDC, said VR and AR devices will play more important roles in telecommuting in the future, and the application of such devices in education accounted for 23.8 percent of all VR/AR devices in China during the COVID-19 epidemic.

"The development of 5G will have positive impacts on the VR and AR sectors, especially in education, healthcare, entertainment and telecommuting. We still feel optimistic for the future of VR/AR, and the compound annual growth rate of China's VR/AR market over the next five years is expected to be 67.5 percent, but it will take some time to be widely accepted by the public," Zhao said.

Japanese tech giant Sony Corp is ramping up efforts in the research and development of VR-related products. The Financial Times reported that the company's CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, expressed interest in streaming live concerts to its PlayStation VR headsets.

The PlayStation VR is still in an early development phase, he said, adding there is much room for progress for VR, and the company needs to continue improving its technology. Sony announced that 5 million PlayStation VR units have been sold since its launch in 2016, likely making it the bestselling tethered headset so far.

Hiroshi Takahashi, chairman and president of Sony China, said in an earlier interview with China Daily that 5G mobile communications technology is a trend, and will have an impact on any audio and video product. "We attach huge importance to the development of 5G."

According to a report from IDC, worldwide shipments of VR and AR headsets are forecast to decline in the first half due to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But there will be a rebound in the second half, which will result in total shipments of nearly 7.1 million units for the year, up 23.6 percent from 2019.

"Interest in VR continues to ramp up as more companies use the technology to drive a wide range of training scenarios. Beyond the typical examples around training people for jobs that involve expensive equipment or dangerous situations, we're seeing a notable uptick in interest in using VR for soft skills training from line-of-business managers," said Tom Mainelli, group vice-president of consumer and devices research at IDC.